ALBUM REVIEW: DEATH WOBBLES BY HAMMERS
Reviewed by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Release date 23 January 2026
With a heavy beat and combined clean and fry screamo vocals leading in with the question “What the fuck is going on?” in the opening song ‘Apeshit’: you know that life is all its ugly glory is about to be dissected. The Gold Coast heavy rock band Hammers deliver their vision of ‘Death Wobbles’ in a very Australian way. Hammers comprise of Leigh "Fish" Dowling, Lucas Stone, Ricky T, Ryan "Ruckus" Lucas and Dario Lagana and they have created a unique take on heavy alternative rock with metal attitudes in this debut album as they try and answer the question they posed.
The 12-song album is a delightfully wicked blend of references heavily leaning on local knowledge, slang and accent. The opening song ‘Apeshit’ with its “sooks, mullets, and maccas” and a refrain of “I should have stayed in bed” is enjoyably fun as listeners are encouraged to go “apeshit”. The next track is ‘Death Wobbles’ and it has heavy rock guitar and drums wrapped in a hellscape “sea of sand” with “the universe is fucking with me again”. The song laments “I lost control but I don’t know when” as the guitar rhythm follows the “crashing down” pattern of the vocals. The song is a metaphor for life and an album highlight. It is followed by the atmospheric guitar and big drum beats before the metal soundscape of ‘The Well’ begins and blends in the clean and fry scream singing in a really great way.
‘Traps’ delivers the heavy blast of “last time I do this” as it celebrates the “best damn head fuck I’ve ever had” with big guitar swagger. Big drums dominate ‘Top Fun’ as it brings the blistering charm with the “beer being great” and “a hell of a night” on “the patio”. Then, it’s the guitars ruling in ‘Annihilation’ before the drums kick in a very metal track. Metal fans will love the big guitar riffs and driving beat. Then, ‘Salad Fingers’ follows with cracked synths before post-hardcore heavy vocals hit. The track is a lament to lost times: as it asks to “go back to where we started”.
Heavy drums pulse, and change rhythm, as ‘Rat Prince’ challenges modern politics and its discourse as the clash of guitars give that “knife” slicing effect to the metal track. Then, the heavy metal ‘Hot Wheels’ with big vocals both clean and fry cuts in and it’s a real album highlight about nights out at the club on the prowl: “soak my bones in whiskey” as “tonight is our night”. ‘Floodlight’ relates the day after the night out and the “sacrifice” demanded as payment.
The driving rock of ‘Fucked Around & Found Out’ about the death of love, lust and its fallout where feelings and lives are “spun around” and “the heart is crushed”. The underscored wail of “How can you do this to me?” is accompanied by a huge electric guitar solo. The album closes out with the very Australian reference to ‘Yowie’ with its eerie electric guitar introduction about a “solitary man” and the myth of the wild man of the bush: “You’ll never see me coming” in the “shadows”.
Hammers have delivered a singular perspective, fun yet serious, on the human condition in ‘Death Wobbles’ and the trials that life sends you. The album has a great sound that metal, alternative rock and heavy rock fans will love. The joy of the album is that it is underpinned with strong songwriting narratives and the fantastic use of the Australian idiom, expressions and it is unafraid to sound it. I love that Hammers have taken the brave path on ‘Death Wobbles’ to drive home their thoughts, heavy guitar riffs, emotive hooks, screams, and grooves as they push the boundaries of the heavy music scene.
